A KEEN traveller with a big family celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her loved ones at a Cirencester hotel last week.

Mary Wellesley, who lives at Ashley Nursing Home in Cirencester, enjoyed a lunch and drinks at the Corinium Hotel on Thursday, January 8 to celebrate the milestone occasion.

Despite never being married or having children, Mary has a large family, with many nieces and nephews.

She received cards from friends and relatives, as well as one from the Queen and also from MP Iain Duncan Smith.

"She loves all her family," said her nephew Anthony Grant. "Mary never had a job but is a very gifted person. She was a photographer and took brilliant photos. She worked for a landscape architects. They wrote a book on cottage gardens and Mary did the illustrations."

Before the Second World War, Mary worked in Spain, looking after local refugee children. She loved to travel and also visited France and Greece.

"She came to Cirencester because her two favourite nieces live in Latton," added Anthony. "They wanted her to come to Ashley house."

Katherine Davis from Ashley House said the other residents, could not believe it when they learnt Mary was going to be 100.

"They said she looks a lot younger and suggested that her youthful complexion might be down to the amount of apples she eats," she said.

Mary is a direct descendant of the Duke of Wellington. Her father, who was the second son, was shot in November 1914 just before Mary was born in January 1915.